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Far far away from the orgy that consist of clyde, 8's, rady, smokes and rono

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Just By the Numbers: This Year's Point Guard Crop

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Just By the Numbers: This Year's Point Guard Crop

by: Matt Kamalsky
June 17, 2009
A key component of the game of basketball, statistics are both exalted for their accuracy and condemned for their ridiculousness. Each season someone comes out with a new way to value a player on paper, and each year a debate arises over its value. In recent seasons, Synergy Sports Technology and other companies have brought on a new generation of statistics in basketball, and along with the likes of John Hollinger and Dean Oliver, have changed the way scouts break down the numbers. Accounting for every jumper missed on a fast break, pick and roll from the top of key, and bad pass in crunch time, the data at the disposal of NBA decision-makers seems to get deeper almost daily. As statistics become more advanced, you can even start to predict what areas a college player may struggle in moving forward based on what their numbers in college or where they may still have upside.

In part one of our five part series, we examine this years point guard crop strictly by the numbers. In our point guard comparison, we were unable to include Patrick Beverley, since the Ukrainian second division isn’t part of our statistical database. However, we are including Rodrigue Beaubois and Nando De Colo, two players whose numbers we didn’t have last season when we did this analysis.

Although these numbers aim to put every prospect on a level playing field, it is important to consider their age, level of competition, and often their role when judging the significance of their numbers.

To gain a better understanding of the statistics used, visit the glossary by Noah Libby-Haines. Interested in making your own statistical comparisons? You can do so here.

Note: The blue dots next to the names of the European prospects indicate that the row they’re in are Euroleague statistics. The other column without the dot display their domestic league numbers.

Ricky Rubio posts the two highest marks in this category with his impressive ability to set the table for his teammates. His 10.4 assists per-40 dwarfs Ty Lawson’s 7.7 and is simply outstanding for any player, let alone an 18 year old in the second best League in the world. Even his Euroleague numbers are excellent, telling you a lot about how well he got everyone involved while playing essentially one-handed. Maybe he isn't "all hype" after all?

Lawson's status as the best point guard in college basketball this season continues to ring true here.

Nick Calathes checks in at 7.5, which is an accurate indicator of his ability to get others involved, as well as score.

Jrue Holiday, Brandon Jennings, and Tyreke Evans fir right around the middle of our list at 5.2-5.5. Toney Douglas lands in last at 3.1 assists, which supports the conclusion that he is much more of a shooting guard than a point guard at the moment. Similar things might be said about Patrick Mills, Rodrigue Beaubois and Lester Hudson.

This is a good place to start with the point guard crop, as it helps us understand the role that the player played on his team, and his mentality as a playmaker or scorer.

Lester Hudson couldn’t repeat as the top per-40 scorer in our database thanks to Stephen Curry’s 31.6 point average.

It is unsurprising to see three small school players at the top of our list, since these players are typically asked to do more, and wouldn’t be warranting attention if they weren’t carrying their teams the way they have. Toney Douglas is our first big school name on the list at 23.1, while potential lottery pick Tyreke Evans was just behind him at 22.9 per-40. Nando De Colo is the first international prospect on our list with 20.5 points per-40 in the French League, easily the highest amongst European players. The second highest comes from his teammate Rodrigue Beaubois at 17.7 per-40.

Three probable lottery picks, Ricky Rubio, Brandon Jennings, and Jrue Holiday close out our rankings by falling under 13.0 points per-40. While Jennings and Holiday have their own excuses, Ricky Rubio’s 7.0 point per-40 tell you a lot more about his wrist injury than his actual play in the Euroleague, as he was playing just a few games with only one hand. Jennings in contrast actually did a slightly better job against better competition, which is notable as well. Holiday's struggles to score at UCLA have been well documented, and surely have to be considered somewhat of a reason for concern.

Stephen Curry’s place in the last category has a lot to do with his place in this one. Curry took almost 11 three-pointers per-40 minutes, a truly overwhelming total. Lester Hudson falls in the same boat, checking in at number two on both lists, while Patrick Mills rounds out the top three here, but didn’t make enough of the many threes he attempted to place himself as high on the points per-40 rankings. Rodrigue Beaubois checks in as our first international player at 7.5 per-full contest, which raises some concerns about his shot selection when you consider he only shot 31.7% from deep. The difference in Ricky Rubio’s attempts in the Euroleague and the ACB tells you how much of a difference a few months of rehab can make. We also find Jonny Flynn and Ty Lawson sitting near the bottom of this list, unsurprising for two guys who handle the ball a great deal, play on good teams with considerably talented wings, and aren't considered great shooters.

Free throws attempted per-40 minutes is a good statistic to measure the aggressiveness of a player getting to the rim, as well as his athleticism and ball-handling skills.
Stephen Curry and Eric Maynor top our list by a full attempt, indicating just how savvy the pair are when they put the ball on the floor to attack the paint. Though neither player is a great athlete, they certainly compensate effectively. Ricky Rubio falls into the same boat at third, while Tyreke Evans and Ty Lawson use their impressive physical tools to tie for fifth at 7.0 attempts per-40.

Brandon Jennings, in contrast, posted only 2.6 attempts, a highly questionable average for a player with his quickness. Jrue Holiday also falls rather low on our list at 2.6, which is indication of his struggles to beat players off the dribble at the UCLA. He did beat Rodrigue Beaubois’s 2.2 soundly, which is a bit discouraging considering how athletic Beaubois is, and how little he seemingly used that.

Nick Calathes isn't deemed to be the quickest or strongest guy in the world, but he still managed to get to the line at a very nice rate, which is impressive. The same can be said for his European counterpart Nando De Colo.

Even though Free Throws Per-40 Minutes Pace Adjusted tells us how much a player attacks in bulk, it doesn’t show how much they attack relative to their usage rate. This stat tells that story.

Ty Lawson got to the line on a per possession basis significantly more frequently than anyone on our list at .47 FTA per possession. Ricky Rubio followed him in second at .40 with Jonny Flynn, Eric Maynor, and Toney Douglas not too far behind at .37 attempts on average. Ricky Rubio’s injured Euroleague play earned him a top-10 spot, which tells you how well he effortless he draws contact in the paint.

On the downside, Brandon Jennings, Jeremy Pargo, and Jrue Holiday didn’t get to the line much, nor did Patrick Mills or Lester Hudson. Obviously these guys are taking a lot more jumpers than their counterparts near the top of the list.

True Shooting Percentage is adjusted to account for what a player adds to their efficiency and team's point total with free throw attempts and 3-pointers. A player who makes 4/10 3-pointers obviously contributes the same amount of points as a player who made 6/10 2-pointers--which doesn't show up in the traditional field goal percentage stat. This stat attempts to adjust for that.

Ty Lawson has the top mark at 67%, an extremely impressive mark which shows just how efficient an all-around player he was for North Carolina.

He was followed by another battle tested guard in Darren Collison, known for his terrific shot-selection and mistake-free style of play. Sergio Llull posts a high mark at 62% in Euroleague play, further indicating his high skill-level, especially when considering the extremely tough level of competition he played in.

The bottom of the list features players who have often been criticized for their decision making skills--Greivis Vasquez, Patrick Mills, and Brandon Jennings. Jrue Holiday and Tyreke Evans also rank on the low-side here.

This isn't at all a slight on Lawson because i do think he's a good prospect but ofcourse he's going to be at the top of alot of these lists. He was a 3 year starter at UNC playing with a collection of future NBA players. He probably had 4-5 future pros on a his team last year. I figure JPZ could run the point at UNC and put up some solid assist numbers.

Evans is a freshman who didn't start playing the point guard position until January so alot of his stats aren't really gonnna look like pure point guards stats. Mainly because he probably isn't a true point guard.

Holiday was a freshman also who didn't play the point guard. Darren Collison was the senior point guard so Holiday was rarely asked to play the point. Can he play the point? Honestly i'm not sure but one thing is for certain he can defend the point and the 2 guard. He's pretty much a Russell Westbrook clone and from that perspective you have to like him. But again he was a Freshman so he didn't have the seasoning a player like Lawson had so of course the stats don't add up.

I'm not a Jennings fan at all but i still find the stat arguement from last year alittle lame when it comes to Jennnings. Jennings recieved sparadic playing time overseas against better competition. He's really a wildcard for a variety of reasons. Nobody other then Euro fans or scouts have seen him plus he has personality isssues.

Again its no knock on Lawson and everybody is entitled to their beliefs but i find the upside of Holiday, Jennings, Curry, and Evans above Lawson but if somehow we did trade down and get Lawson i wouldn't be upset.

And of course if Rubio is sitting there to be had its a no brainer to take him. Theres no arguing that.

Im just keeping my fingers crossed that we dont draft stephen curry. From what I watched of him, hes an excellent shooter but thats about it. I agree that Rubio and Lawson are the 2 best point guards in the draft. Drafting either one of them would be a big step for us in the right direction.

Far far away from the orgy that consist of clyde, 8's, rady, smokes and rono

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He's on top of those list because of his abilities and skills.
He makes people on UNC look good...even if his teammates are good. Taking away his stats, abilities, skills and everything on his resume because he's on an elite team is pretty much straight up hating .

Evans will be a SG in the NBA.

6"5 PG's don't really work out in the NBA.

NBA is becoming faster every year.

Shaun Livingston was a fail, and guys like Rodney Stucky and Javaris Crittenton aren't really hot commodities, just guys with potential because of his god blessed "size".

You're 100% wrong about Holiday,the most overrated NCAA freshman.

He doesn't slash to the free throw line.
He's a poor shooter.
and a poor passer.

Honestly, why would you want those qualities in a PG?

He's a defensive specialist...thats it. An athletic Kevin Ollie.

About Jennings...he lacks a jumpshot, doesn't play defense and isn't a leader with the basketball.

He is quick and athletic, but doesn't drive to the basket enough(chucks it like Jamal).

There is a BIG difference in the switch over from the NCAA to the NBA when it comes to a PG....starting with the endurance of 4 games in 7 days with consistent traveling for 7 months.

The switch over for many of years has turned alot of great NCAA PG into NBA "combo-guards", inwhich the team floor leadership is just not in the player b/c of the big role that comes with being a teams PG, the lack of endurance to lead 14 players on a nightly basis, comunication skillz to gain trust and confidence from the team, NBA teammates (team captan), coaches direction, floor creativeness, or the big change in ones life as a NBA player for the first two to four years.

The average NBA PG (no matter how great his NCAA stats were) does not get his official NBA pass untill his 3rd to 4th season. Initiation is a B.... to become a NBA PG.

The Ricky Rubio hype has made him a "Wanted Man" in the NBA, every PG and SG in the NBA will come after him with tooth & nails to out perform him by scouting his every weakness as a rookie. We will see injured NBA players come off the injured list just to initiate Rubio into the NBA.

Why do u think Danilo Gallinari only played in one summer league game and only 18 regular season games getting 3 to 5 minutes at a time. Back injury....yeah right!
The NBA players has always attacked the top-10 draft picks harder than the rest of the draft class. It's call rookie initiation....Oden just received half of what's instore for him next season.

Why do u think Danilo Gallinari only played in one summer league game and only 18 regular season games getting 3 to 5 minutes at a time. Back injury....yeah right!
The NBA players has always attacked the top-10 draft picks harder than the rest of the draft class. It's call rookie initiation....Oden just received half of what's instore for him next season.

So the Siactica and the offseason back surgury where all fabricated because he was getting exposed in the league? Come up with a better arguement like that. Say you don't like the draft pick or say you don't like the player but enough with the made up injury stuff...

There is a BIG difference in the switch over from the NCAA to the NBA when it comes to a PG....starting with the endurance of 4 games in 7 days with consistent traveling for 7 months.

The switch over for many of years has turned alot of great NCAA PG into NBA "combo-guards", inwhich the team floor leadership is just not in the player b/c of the big role that comes with being a teams PG, the lack of endurance to lead 14 players on a nightly basis, comunication skillz to gain trust and confidence from the team, NBA teammates (team captan), coaches direction, floor creativeness, or the big change in ones life as a NBA player for the first two to four years.

The average NBA PG (no matter how great his NCAA stats were) does not get his official NBA pass untill his 3rd to 4th season. Initiation is a B.... to become a NBA PG.

The Ricky Rubio hype has made him a "Wanted Man" in the NBA, every PG and SG in the NBA will come after him with tooth & nails to out perform him by scouting his every weakness as a rookie. We will see injured NBA players come off the injured list just to initiate Rubio into the NBA.

Why do u think Danilo Gallinari only played in one summer league game and only 18 regular season games getting 3 to 5 minutes at a time. Back injury....yeah right!
The NBA players has always attacked the top-10 draft picks harder than the rest of the draft class. It's call rookie initiation....Oden just received half of what's instore for him next season.

So the Siactica and the offseason back surgury where all fabricated because he was getting exposed in the league? Come up with a better arguement like that. Say you don't like the draft pick or say you don't like the player but enough with the made up injury stuff...

This thread is about the crop of PG in this draft class and their statistics.
I just added the transformation from a semi pro league to a Pro-League.
And how alot of NCAA PG are forced to become "combo-guards" in the NBA.

Rookie initiation has gotten real soft in the league but not soft enough for certain players.
Back specialist rarely recommend surgery, especially with that big-needle of steroids they been shooting in everybody back in three visits.
Name the date that Gallo had surgery???

Back specialist rarely recommend surgery, especially with that big-needle of steroids they been shooting in everybody back in three visits.
Name the date that Gallo had surgery???

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Tuesday, April 7, 2009.

''The back surgery performed on Danilo Gallinari on Tuesday is a low-risk procedure that should have no long-term consequences for the Knicks rookie, according to a New York-based spine expert. The Knicks announced Tuesday morning that Gallinari had successful surgery, with a full recovery expected in six to eight weeks. During the procedure, known as a laminotomy, doctors shaved down a bony plate that was irritating a nearby nerve.
Team officials believe Gallinariís back problems stem from a bulging disc, presumably caused by a collision with Robert Traylor in a summer league game in July. Although the disc later receded, the pain persisted, causing Gallinari to miss training camp. He played briefly in the first two games of the season, then missed the next two months while undergoing a rigorous rehabilitation program.''

Give me Lawson or Tyreke Evans. We all saw what Lawson can do in the tourney and Tyreke Evans is an absolute beast. He almost single-handedly brought Memphis back from a 25 point deficit in the second half against my MIZZOU Tigers in the sweet sixteen. We were known to be a full court press, defensive squad and had no answer for the guy. Tyreke got to the basket at will, finished strong, and already has an NBA body. That's why Rubio's stock is dropping faster than the DOW, because GM's get fired over wasting high draft picks on overhyped players (except in NY).